title: Schizotypy and personality profiles of Cluster A in a group of schizophrenic patients and their siblings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizotypy, or the set of personality traits related to schizophrenia, is considered an endophenotypic manifestation that is more represented in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia than in the general population. The assessment of schizotypy is primarily based on self-reports, and for this reason it presents several limitations. In order to assess schizotypy, this study proposes a diagnostic instrument based on clinical reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 66 subjects, composed of 25 outpatients with schizophrenia, 18 siblings of these patients and 23 healthy controls, was subjected to the personality assessment test SWAP-200 by trained clinical interviewers. To test the hypothesis of the difference between the profiles of the Personality Disorders within the schizophrenia spectrum, a Multivariate Analysis of Variance and subsequent planned comparisons were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with schizophrenia scored higher than both their siblings and the controls on all SWAP-200 scales; their siblings, compared to the healthy controls, showed significant statistical differences, with higher mean scores for paranoid (F(1,63) = 7.02; p = 0.01), schizoid (F(1,63) = 6.56; p = 0.013) and schizotypal (F(1,63) = 6.47; p = 0.013) traits (PD T scores of Cluster A and Q-factor scores for the schizoid scale [F(1,63) = 6.47; p = 0.013]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with previous data, first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia scored higher on schizophrenia-related personality traits than a general population comparison sample. SWAP-200, as an alternative diagnostic instrument to self-report measures, is able to reveal the higher prevalence of schizotypal traits in siblings of patients with schizophrenia, suggesting its possible use as a complementary instrument for the assessment of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, Rome 00185, Italy. mariachiara.torti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Torti
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buzzanca
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Squarcione
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirigliani
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Fabio
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biondi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*